


The Stalker

by mangra



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Aftercare, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Assault, Awkward Flirting, Crush at First Sight, Cute Okumura Eiji, Falling In Love, Family Issues, First Meetings, Flashbacks, Fluff and Humor, Funny, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Neighbors, Paranoia, Romantic Fluff, Soulmates, ash lynx is a fucking mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-04-11 11:44:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19108987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangra/pseuds/mangra
Summary: Ash sensed his presence for a while now. He’d been walking for 15 minutes and couldn’t shake the stranger off his trail. Ash grunted. He just wanted to go to the library and catch up on the latest scientific journals.God, what a nerd.In which Ash accidentally pepper sprays his "stalker" and meets his cute neighbor.





	1. I'm going to juvie for pepper spraying a child

Ash sensed his presence for a while now. He’d been walking for 15 minutes and couldn’t shake the stranger off his trail. Ash grunted. He just wanted to go to the library and catch up on the latest scientific journals. 

God, what a nerd.

It was a stressful day. His useless group mates didn’t help at with the paper due this morning, he had two major tests, and he hasn’t had a decent amount of sleep the entire week. So excuse him if he wanted to read about the fucking black holes. 

Ash swiftly ducked into a nearby alley and leaned against a brick wall. Ever since Griffin found out about the illegal drugs and weapons, he’d been trying to get himself out of the street gangs. He shuddered at the memories. He looked at his phone for the time and winced. Damn, Griffin was gonna be pissed. He had to go home now or he won’t get to eat Cap'n Crunch for breakfast tomorrow. He promised Griffin that he’d limit his  _“unhealthy-diet-habits-that-will-kill-you-before-you-turn-30._ ” 

He scurried down the alley and jumped over the fence. He jogged down the crowded street and almost choked on his tongue. The weird guy was there again. 

 _What the fuck_.  _I thought I lost him two blocks down?_ Ash thought.

He hurried down and tried to lose him in the crowd. He ducked under people, slid across cars, and got cussed out in return. He knew this place like the back of his hand, and there was no way he couldn’t shake of some stalker. He got to a corner deli and peered around.  

 _Finally lost him,_ Ash smirked.   

He took one step forward and bit back a scream.  

The stalker was there again.

Could he be one of Arthur’s guys? He’d had enough. He wanted to go home, read about Euclid’s Elements of Geometry.

Ash had had enough. He’d walk down one more street and jump the fucker if he sees him again.

Ash silently went down a secluded street, and heard footsteps behind him after a couple of minutes. His hackles rose. The bastard really was following him. He slowed his steps until the stalker was five feet away from him. He slowly reached into his pocket, gave a sharp twist, and pepper sprayed the fuck out of the stranger.

He heard a glorious scream. He made sure to get the bastard right in the face.

“AAGHH! MY EYES, IT HURTS!” The stalker started to babble in some foreign language. Vietnamese? He didn’t give a fuck.

“Who sent you? Why are you following me?!” Ash demanded.

The pathetic creature was wriggling on the floor, clutching at his eyes. Okay, so he might have gone a little overboard on the pepper spray, but better safe than sorry.

“Hey, I asked you—“ Ash was cut off by the stalker’s whimpering, until it turned into pitiful sobs. _OH GOD, IS HE CRYING?_

“Help… Please help me…”

_Okay, DEFINITELY NOT ARTHUR’S GUY._

“Uhhh…” Ash froze. He was fucked. 

Did he just pepper spray an innocent guy? What if he gets sent to juvie for this? Griffin would kill him if he’d get sent to juvie.

Ash slowly approached him. “H-hey, are you okay? Of course not what was I thinking, I pepper sprayed you for crying out loud. Sorry, stupid question. I mean—shit.” He gently tapped the stalker’s shoulder and he recoiled.

“Look, I’m sorry but I’m here to help. I won’t spray you anymore, alright? C’mon now.”

Clearly disoriented, Ash helped the stranger up, and herded him to a nearby curb.

“There’s a 7-11 a block away from here. I’ll get some water… And some milk, okay? Just stay here I won’t be long.” Ash said as calmly as he can, which wasn’t much.

He didn’t know if the stranger heard him or not but he thought he saw a miniscule nod coming from the “stalker.”

It only took 5 minutes tops, but it felt like 3 hours had passed. His self-hatred tripled at that moment.

When he reached the _then-stalker_ he wasn’t crying as hard anymore, but he was still curled up on himself.

Ash felt like he just ran a marathon.

“I got the water. I’ll wash it over your eyes.” He was panting like a crazy bastard.

The guy gave a small nod and slowly uncovered his eyes. Shit that’s a lot of liquid.

Ash poured the water over his face and washed away the residue with his handkerchief. He did it with utter care surprising the both of them.

The stranger let out a relieved sigh.

“I’m gonna put the milk on your skin. It’ll help soothe the burn.”

“T-thank you. I’m sorry you have to do this.”

Ash was flabbergasted. Really, _definitely not Arthur’s guy JESUS CHRIST._

“The hell are you sorry for? If anything, I should be the one apologizing.”

The weird guy let out a small laugh, “Yeah, I guess so.”

 _His skin is so soft,_ Ash thought, as he wiped away the residue from his face, fingers nearly trailing down to the stranger’s ear.

 _Even his hair looks soft._ Ash wanted to touch it. _Maybe I should’ve pepper sprayed it here too._ Ash shook his morbid thoughts away.

“Does it still sting anywhere?”

“My eyes still feel a bit itchy.”

“Okay, don’t rub it or it’ll just irritate it even more.” Ash gently dabbed some milk on his eyes. His handkerchief was a gross, and the not-stalker clothes were a sticky mess.

“I think I’m done now, does it still hurt?” Ash asked.

Slowly, the was-once-a-stalker-but-is-actually-innocent guy blinked his eyes open, and Ash felt like he was punched in the gut. Literally. Warm pools of brown with hints of flecked gold looked up at him. They were warm, _warm_ and showed no ill-will for some guy who was just assaulted the second they met.

Ash gulped. Why was he sweating so badly? And why is he nervous all of a sudden? _Oh god I can’t breathe, my heart is giving up on me._

 “Oh,” the most beautiful stranger in the world said. “You’re very pretty.”

Ash thought he was gonna die there and then.

His face exploded a full blown red and he felt lightheaded. Is this what death feels like?

_I guess I don’t mind if it’s because of this guy._

He received complements before, with about 80% of it being gross and creepy. He never received one that was plain honest and candid as this. He stood there frozen like an idiot.

“Uhm.. Are you okay?” The stranger asked. “I-I GUH.” Ash spluttered. _What the fuck are you doing?!_

 _“_ I-UHM. ARE YOU OKAY?! I’M PEPPER SPRAY SORRY?! WHAT I’M—“ Ash wanted to die for the 30th time.

The stranger blinked at him and let out a small giggle.

_DID HE JUST GIGGLE? GODS THAT WAS SO CUTE. HE CALLED ME PRETTY._

The guy looked kinda cute. Like a bunny. His cheeks were soft and fluffy, and his hair perfectly framed his face. This sounds really gay.

“Ah, it’s fine. Do not worry about it. My eyes are fine now, and not as itchy anymore. Although I do not understand why you had to spray me with … that.”

He pointed to the abandoned bottle on the pavement.

“I honestly thought you were stalking me. You’ve been following me since Grand Central Terminal up until this street, which is pretty secluded mind you. I thought you were part of Arthur’s gang and jump me.” Ash looked like a puppy about to be kicked out.

“Eh? I guess that is an understandable. I was not attempting to stalk you. I was just on my way home, and I was taking the subway. I am sorry if I frightened you, although I do not know who Arthur is or what jumping has to do with anything.”

“Oh.” Ash cheeks were still warm, and this explanation did nothing to abate it. “I-I’m sorry. Again. Really, I didn’t mean—if only I knew I wouldn’t. Forget about Arthur and jumping is—“

“It is fine, really Mr…?” The stranger looked at him inquisitively.

“Ash. My name is Ash Lynx and you can drop the mister.”

“That’s a funny name, Ash. I am Okumura Eiji. Although, since this is not Japan it would be Eiji Okumura.” He let out a small laugh.

Eiji. Japanese? Sounded good to him. A perfect name for a cutie Ash just assaulted.

“My place is just nearby, maybe you could borrow a change of clothes?” Ash offered.

Eiji looked down at just noticed his apparently wet clothes. “Oh no, it is no problem, really. I live nearby as well so there is no need.”

“Please.” Ash gave _Not-stranger-but-cute-guy-with-a-fitting-name-like-Eiji_ a pleading look and almost touched his hands. But he had some self-preservation left.

Eiji searched his eyes and only found honest sincerity. “Okay, lead the way then Ash Lynx.” He nodded.

Ash helped Eiji get up and kicked away the offending pepper spray. “What was that for?” Eiji laughed. “For hurting an innocent kid.” Ash rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“I’m not a kid.” Eiji pouted.

“You sure? What are you, 15?”

“I’m 19 for your information.” His cheeks puffed in annoyance.

Ash almost tripped and let out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? I thought was gonna get sent to juvie for assaulting a minor.”

Eiji suddenly let out a burst of laughter. “Why would I do that?”

“People sue each other a lot here, not like they have the money for a decent lawyer.” Ash shrugged.

Light chatter settled over them. Oddly enough, it wasn’t awkward for a first meeting. _Maybe because you sprayed him and had to wash milk all over his face. Any and all awkward interactions are now forfeited._

They soon reached a modest looking 10-storey apartment building. It was a bit old, but brought back to life with a consistent fresh coat of paint. Flowers and blooms dotted the front entrance and vines were decoratively growing on the side.

“Here we are—“

“I live over—“

They looked at each other at the same time in disbelief and laughed like madmen at the same time.

“You—HAHA—live here? What the heck!” This was the weirdest thing that happened to Ash’s life. Weird and strangely pleasant.

“Pfft… I just moved in. Who would have thought? Now are we just going to suddenly find out that we are neighbours?”

Ash snorted. “Let’s find out shall we? What’s your unit number?”

“Well it won’t be a surprise now.” Eiji had the audacity to wink. _My heart just missed a beat. Please stop this madness._

They entered the building, went straight for the elevator, and pressed the 5th floor button at the same time. They gave each other a competitive stare.

“I guess we’re in the same floor.” Ash shrugged.

“This is the weirdest thing that has happened to me since moving here.” Eiji muttered.

Ash felt guilty. Again. He opened his mouth to apologize once more until Eiji said, “I am not blaming you for what happened. It was a misunderstanding. Besides, you helped me after you found out it was a mistake.”

When they reached their floor they both turned to the right and tried to stifle their laughter.

“We’re here.” Ash said.

“I live two doors down.”

“This is fucking crazy.” Ash slide his keys in and opened the door. The apartment wasn’t huge by any means, and only had 1 bedroom. But it was enough for him and Griffin. Privacy can suck his ass. He didn’t know how to sleep alone anymore and would reach out for his brother when he had nightmares.

And for some goddamn reason Eiji was taking his shoes off.

Ash had to scramble, fast. “Wait a minute, wait, Eiji, I haven’t cleaned the floor yet so you should put your shoes back.” _Why didn’t he mop the floor 2 days ago?!_

“But it’s not polite?” Eiji already had one shoe off.

“Nevermind that. Let me get something for you to cha—“

“Ash? Are you here?” Great, he forgot about Griffin. And the time. He was so screwed.

“What took you so long? The game’s on halftime now.” Griffin came out of their shared bedroom holding out a banner of his favourite basketball team.

“Sorry Griff, something came up. I forgot about the game and I’ll make it up to you, I promise. By the way this is Eiji… Okzamera?” Ash looked to Eiji in confusion, who tried to stifle a laugh, and failing miserably.

Eiji went up to Griffin and extended his hand. “It’s Okumura. I’m Eiji Okumura, nice to meet you Mr…?”

Griffin shook his hand. “Oh please, you don’t need to be formal. I’m Griffin Callenreese. How did you two meet by the way? And you’re clothes are pretty wet. Did he do something to you?” He went up to his baby brother and gave him a noogie. Ash looked like a feral cat trying to get out of his grip.

“Haha… it is a very funny story Mr. Callenreese. Are you and Ash related?”

“Mr. Callenreese is my dad, just call me Griffin. Is he still calling himself Ash Lynx?” Griffin gave a playful smile to his baby brother. Ash stuck out his tongue in reply.

“His real name is Aslan Callenreese. Ash Lynx is his street name or whatever kids do these days.” Griffin’s eyes darkened for a split second, and you wouldn’t have noticed it if you weren’t paying attention. Ash looked like he was in pain. Eiji was sure he was intruding in some dark history between them, and didn’t want the tension to escalate. He felt sticky and gross and wanted to take a shower.

“Aslan…. Like the lion in Narnia?” Eiji tilted his head.

“God why did that bitch have to name me after a fucking Jesus lion.” Ash grumbled.

“Aw c’mon Ash, at least you weren’t named after a hybrid mythological creature. Anyway,” Griffin put his hands on his hips like the mother hen he was, “Our guest is wet and I’m pretty sure you did something Ash. Get his some clothes.”

“We were gonna do that until you oh so kindly interrupted us. C’mon Eiji.” Ash motioned for Eiji to follow him to the bedroom and turned his head up at his brother who let out a sigh.  

Eiji slightly bowed his head in appreciation at Griffin when he walked past. Ash and his brother didn’t really look alike and had different hair colors. Griffin was soft and had a quietude about him, whereas Ash was like tinder about to spark the moment you set something off. But beneath it was an endearing awkward boy.

Ash rummaged through his closet for some clothes and a towel, handed them to Eiji, and led him to the bathroom.

“Just leave your clothes in the hamper, I’ll wash them for you. You can take a shower too.” Ash said.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble. I don’t know how to work the washing machine in my place yet.” Eiji gave a grateful sigh and looked at him with his big brown eyes, and closed the bathroom door.

_How is he so cute?! I don’t mind washing all his clothes, even his underwear… NO, BAD ASH._

Eiji removed his wet clothes with a groan. He felt really gross, and he’d been in these clothes for more than an hour. He took a quick shower and changed into Ash’s clothes. Even if Ash was taller, he was slimmer than Eiji. Even if he wasn’t an athlete anymore he still tried to keep himself in shape. His biceps slightly bulged over the shirt, and his butt was snugly fit in the jeans.

When Eiji went out with his hair still damp, Ash’s eyes bulged out and a red hue take over his cheeks. _Okay, okay, uhhh…hngg... Fuck me._ Ash almost felt like crying. How can Eiji look so perfect? So he didn’t expect the guy to be fit and toned. Who gives a fuck he’d gladly donate his jeans to him anytime. Thank God he decided to give him a white shirt. It was slightly damp and gave a nice little peak of his abs, and his nipples were peeking out.

 _I guess I have a crush and a boner._  

“Thank you for the clothes, Ash. Uhm… it’s kinda tight, I’m sorry if it will stretch a bit.”

“No, thank you.” Ash said dazedly. “I MEAN UHH— SURE NO PROBLEM.” Why was he an idiot at the worst of times?

A small awkward silence fell over them. Eiji fidget a bit, and Ash’s mind was self-destructing.

Griffin suddenly came in and both of them were glad for it. “Hey Ash, do you and your friend want burgers or tacos for dinner?”

Eiji gasped “Oh, it’s almost dinner? I haven’t even cooked dinner yet.”

“Why don’t you have dinner with us Eiji?” Ash hopefully suggested.

“But Ibe-san would be waiting for me.”

“Why don’t you bring him to dinner too? Think of it as our housewarming welcome to our new neighbors.” Griffin said.

“That would be great! Thank you.” Eiji smiled.

“Who is this Ibe-san, Eiji?” Ash wanted to know if this was a live in boyfriend or girlfriend.

“He’s an old family friend, and he helped me get to New York. I’m his assistant.”

_Oh wew. Guess there’s no competition with an old geezer there._

“Guess it’s taco night then!” Ash’s brother grinned. “It’ll be ready by 7. Why don’t you two get ready, bring this Ibe-san, and tell us all about how you two met huh?”  

Ash and Eiji both felt their impending doom. Griffin may look soft, but he was probably more dangerous of the two brothers.

 

Taco Night was going to be hell.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ash is a wreck please forgive the poor child he needs to rest. Will update next week Thursday! 
> 
> Follow me on twitter at mangra_MK for bf shitposts and art 😘


	2. Eiji gets caught watching Sesame Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taco Night ensues, and Ash flirts.

Ash had crushes before. His first crush was this girl in the 8th grade. They liked it each other, but it never got to continue when she died in a freak accident. Others were short term flings, and he never really found anyone he liked enough. He found at he was bi when he didn’t mind looking at those shirtless male posters his female classmates would gawked at, and he especially didn’t mind that one time he experimentally made out with Alex.

This crush however, was different. The moment Eiji opened his doe brown eyes, Ash was a goner. He read those sappy novels Kong likes. Those fireworks, butterflies in your stomach bullshit. The way the author wrote about crushes and first love seemed like a fun once-in-a-lifetime experience. Ash never wanted to experience it again. Fuck those romance novels. Those authors probably never experienced love in their life, or got it wrong. This feeling was anxiety, death, and exhilarating all at once. This crush made him want to puke and cuddle Eiji at the same time. This crush made him sweaty and gross in places he didn’t even know sweat glands even existed.

He thought he was good at flirting. He made people swoon at school just by glancing at them. But now that he has a crush, a legitimate crush on the first meeting at that— he can’t get his shit together at the worst of times and ends up acting like a complete moron.

Ash was cleaning up the apartment for their like some madman. He had to mop and dust the floor incase this Ibe-san takes off his shoes like Eiji. Gotta make a good first impression, he can’t have a dirty floor oh hell no. As his cute neighbor said, taking off your shoes at the door is the polite thing to do, thank you very much.

“Is there anything I can help with?” Eiji was sitting on the couch nursing a cup of tea. Thank God Griff drinks that tasteless leaf water.

“You’re my guest, Eiji. I can’t have you cleaning the house.” Ash mopped the floor furiously. Why can’t he remove this goddamn stain?!

"Besides, dinner is the least I can do. I didn’t even know we had new neighbors.” Ash leaned against the mop handle. “When did you guys move in? I didn’t see any moving boxes either.”

Eiji scratched his cheeks. “We moved in only three days ago. We didn’t really bring a lot so we only had five boxes at most. The apartment is only a bit bigger than this so there wasn’t much space to do put things either.”

“Oh. I was barely here the past week so that’s why I didn’t notice you. I basically lived in the library the entire time.”

“Are you a student?” Eiji asked. “I’m going to study Photography and Visual Arts next semester. What about you, Ash?”

“Damn, you really aren’t a high schooler.” Eiji’s indignant _Hey!_ was promptly ignored.

“I’m double majoring in Law and International Studies. I’m a freshman, so maybe I can help out the new transfer student, big brother~”

Eiji cheeks let out a small blush. “W-what the hell. Just because I’m older than you by two years doesn’t mean we have that much of an age difference.”

“Relax, I’m just teasing you.” Ash grinned.

Eiji gulped.

He really is pretty, especially when he’s smiling. I want to take a picture.

“Hearing the English of onii-chan is pretty weird.” No one really called their older sibling or “big brother” or “big sister” when he watched American movies.

“Onii-chan? Is that Japanese?” Ash asked.

“Mm. It’s Japanese for big brother. Onii-san is more formal.”

“Well, than onii-chan~ I’ll be sure to take care of you when you attend uni.”

Ash’s face was pretty close, and Eiji’s face went bright red. Even if Ash’s Japanese was accented, but he couldn’t handle with being called onii-chan by the pepper spraying handsome blonde. He flailed and almost dropped the mug.

“Are you almost done with the cleaning, Ash?” Griffin’s head popped out behind the wall. They both jumped away from each other and Eiji almost fell of the couch.

“Please stop flirting with our guest and make sure to clean the bathroom while you’re at it.” He gave them a pleasant smile and went back to preparing dinner.

“Flirting?!” According to the shoujo mangas Eiji would sneak from his sister, he expected his flirting to be more romantic, not embarrassing.

“Tch.” Ash scowled. Now he has to do all the chores since he missed the stupid game.

“Guess I’ll start cleaning the bathroom. You can watch TV if you want.” He pointed to the remote on the edge of the sofa.

“You sure you don’t need help?” Eiji asked.

Damn you’re even considerate!

“I’ll take care of it onii-chan~”

Ash laughed on his way to the bathroom while Eiji flustered and pouted.

Eiji grabbed the remote in a huff and surfed through channels.

Wow, there are 300 channels, but nothing to watch.

Eiji’s mind wandered over the weird things that conspired against him today. He forgot to buy groceries and had to rush to uni without any breakfast this morning, the admissions lady was giving him weird looks (Eiji shuddered at the thought that she could be racist), some guy licked his neck in the subway, and he got pepper sprayed hard on the way home.

He sighed at the tragedy of his day, and sipped his tea.

 _At least my neighbour is cute._ Eiji smiled.

“Umm… Is Sesame Street popular in Japan too?” Eiji looked up and saw Griffin with his own cup of tea, looking questioningly at the TV. While his mind wandered off, he accidentally left the TV playing Sesame Street. Cookie Monster and The Count were fighting over a plate of cookies.

 _This is embarrassing!_ Eiji almost dropped his mug, again, and quickly changed the channel.

“I haven’t seen Sesame Street in years.” Griffin chuckled. “Dinner will be ready soon. Will our other guest be joining us soon?”

“Yes, he said he’s near the gas station.” He could smell the food coming out and willed his stomach not to gurgle.

“Great, that’s less than 10 minutes from here. I’ll go set the plate.” As Griffin went back to the kitchen, Ash came out of the bathroom not a second later.

“Yo Ash, you should get changed. Don’t want your gross toilet smell to mess up my tacos.”

“Shut up gramps. Don’t be so grumpy just because you’re team lost.”

Griffin mocked him back with a baby voice while Ash slammed the door of the single room. Sibling banter really is universal, and Eiji started to miss his sister.

The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it!” Eiji said a bit too loudly.

He opened the door and Ibe held out a grocery bag. “I hope I’m not late. I brought some beer and wine to show thanks.”

“That’s nice of you Ibe-san. Please come in, and don’t bother to take off your shoes. It’s not customary here in America.”

“That’s a good idea because the floor is kinda damp.”

“It was just mopped.” Eiji says. He introduced Ibe to Griffin and both of them exchanged pleasantries. Ash came out of the room in a fresh change of clothes. In a black V-neck that hugged his body just right. Huh.  
“Ibe-san, did you bring some juice? Ash here is a minor.” Eiji tried to hide a shiteating grin off his face.

“Ha ha very funny. I’ve drank beer before you know.” Griffin gave a weary sigh. “You can have one beer today, Ash.”

Ash shook Ibe’s hand and turned on his Ash Lynx charm at max volume. If he was planning on dating Eiji, he had to get his guardian’s approval.

Apparently, Eiji never had tacos before. Ash was affronted and he made it his mission to make sure Eiji would have the best tacos ever.

“Whadyamean you’ve never had tacos before? They’re the best! Tia Imelda down the main road, you know, the one with the angry bull statue out front? She makes the best tacos.”

Eiji began to scoop out ingredients Ash was pointing out. “We don’t really have tacos in my place. Maybe there are some in Tokyo, but not where I live.”

“Maybe I should take you to that Mexican restaurant. The Tres Leches cake is so fucking good. Add some cheese on top of that.”

“That’d be nice.” Eiji was giddy for some reason. He put some cheese, squirted a bit of lime, and took a bite. It was messy and the toppings were falling out of the shell, but it was damn good.

“See? It’s good right?” Eiji was gulping down his taco with sparkles in his eyes, and Ash felt damn good.

Ibe let out a cough. “So Ei-chan, how did you and Ash meet? If I knew there was a welcoming dinner, I would have made something.”

“Yes Aslan, do tell.” Griffin had a look in his eyes that seemed like he wouldn’t get the new Pokemon game anytime soon.

They both fell silent for a second too long and avoided looking at each other. Ash almost swallowed down the wrong hole and Eiji somberly held his taco.  
  


“It’s a funny story—“

“I’ve been traumatized—“  
  


They both paused and looked at each other with dread on their faces. How the fuck were they going to explain that Ash pepper sprayed his neighbour less than 5 hours ago? And in front of Eiji’s guardian who would have every reason to sue Ash. Goodbye Pokemon Sword/Shield.

“U-uhm… Is everything alright?” Ibe was beginning to get flustered.

“We-well… um Ibe-san, we met under very confusing circumstances and I don’t really remembered what happened. It was all a blur. Ha ha ha.”

 _You could’ve added a bit more spirit into that laugh, Eiji!_ Ash thought.  
  
“I don’t really remember what happened either. This beer is really good Ibe. Coors Light, nice choice. Have you tried adding some chili? Would you like some?”

“Aslan Jade Callenreese, what did you do? Eiji’s clothes were all wet when he came in here.” Griffin was crossing his arms and had his don’t-bullshit-me tone.

“Is that why your clothes look too tight?” Ibe murmured.

Ash looked at Eiji, and they shared a silent conversation with their eyes. He gave a long sigh, and said “I may have pepper sprayed Eiji by accident.” Ibe spit out his beer and Griffin shouted “You what?!”

“BUT.” Ash interrupted, “I helped him remove the spray. That’s why his clothes were all wet. No harm done, he’s fine now, right Eiji?” He gave a winning smile and looked to the other boy.

“It’s not his fault Ibe-san, Griffin. He thought I was stalking him and didn’t know that we live in the same place.”

“Are you okay Ei-chan?! Do you need to go to the hospital?! Does it still hurt?!” Ibe fussed.

Griffin let out a weary sigh. “Knowing you, you would have gone straight for his weak points. I’m not knowledgeable about pepper sprays, but he should at least be checked in the hospital. I’m sorry for the trouble Ash has done, and I’ll pay for your fees as well.”

“No, please Griffin, it’s fine!” Eiji waved his hands. This has to be the most awkward dinner he’s had.

“I insist, and you’ll be going with him Ash.”

“Huh?” Ash was secretly taking bites while they were fussing over Eiji. He had some basil between his teeth, which Griffin gladly pointed out.

“It’s not like I can ground you anymore. The least you can do is make sure Eiji’s alright.”

“You’ve never grounded me Griff.”

He faced Eiji. “I’m still sorry for all the trouble, and I can accompany you to the hospital, if it’s alright with you.”

“As long as you take me to that Mexican restaurant.”

“Deal.”

Ash’s heart was fluttering. No, it was drumming really fast and loud he’s afraid they’d all hear it. How did he meet a cute boy and score a date in less than a day?

“By the way Eiji, I won’t be available this weekend. I’ve got a three-day seminar I have to attend for this one client.”

“That’s okay, I understand. I can just go sight-seeing by myself.” He tried to hide his disappointment and took a large swig of his beer.

“Maybe I can show you around town, Eiji! I know all the best spots and hidden areas. No one knows downtown like I do.” And then Ash would treat Eiji to a romantic dinner, just like in those movies. He was a romantic at heart, and he knew he was going down hard too fast for this boy.

“It’s true. Ash knows all the alleyways and corners down here.”

Soon enough, they were all talking about which places to go, and which tourist traps to avoid. Ash felt like he knew easy and comfortable with Eiji, and he didn’t know why. But he welcomed the feeling. He was polite, snarky at the best of times, and had the purest laugh that would make time freeze.

Eiji and Ibe eventually had to retire home.

“I’ll wash these clothes and return them soon.” Eiji said before retreating from the door. “Good Night, Ash.”

“G’night Eiji.” Ash closed the door and let out a content sigh. He was feeling high on good vibes right now.

“Can’t believe you scored two dates with someone you just pepper sprayed this afternoon.” The good vibes were suddenly depleting.

“Please Griff, it’s not a date. I thought he was one of Arthur’s guys. I’ll make it up to him, you’ll see.”

“I know you will lil bro.” Griffin’s face suddenly curdled at the mention of Arthur. How he wanted to send that kid to rehab in some camp for troubled kids in the woods of nowhere.

Ash helped wiped the dishes and they both worked in a calm silence until, “You looked kinda stupid back there. Ibe and I could clearly see you really really realllllyyyy like Eiji.”

“What!? No I didn’t! He’s just cute that’s all.” His let out an indignant pout and scrubbed the plate harder.

“Eiji couldn’t stop looking at you either. I think he has a thing for you too.”

“Really?!” Ash had a sparkle of hope in his eyes.

“Pfft. It was so obvious. Can’t believe you didn’t notice it, or were you too busy staring into his big adorable eyes?”

“I was not!”

“Was so. Ash and Eiji sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. Mwah mwah mwah.” Griffin did embarrassing kissy sounds and Ash felt like he was gonna explode from blushing too much.

Ash hit Griffin with a wet towel, and water fight ensued. The plates and the floor were all wet, but you could hear the sound of laughter outside the apartment door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLS ENJOY THIS CALLENREESE BROTHERLY LOVE FAM. Follow me on twitter at mangra_MK for bf shitposts and art \\(*O*)/


	3. Griffin is an illegal trespasser and catches them cuddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe they're on a date, maybe they're soulmates, maybe they have a heart-to-heart therapy session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why did this take me weeks to finish lol but it's my longest chapter yet! ヾ(☆▽☆) currently working on the next chapter

Ash stared out at the distance, silently taking a bit of his hotdog. The sun was setting down over the horizon; the skyscrapers quietly masking its descendent.

Eiji coughed beside him and squeezed his nose. “This is too much mustard! It feels like my nose will fall off.”

Ash laughed and squeezed some more mustard on his chili hotdog.

“You’re just weak with spicy food. Don’t you eat wasabi?”

Eiji gave him an astounded look. “Mustard isn’t spicy, Ash.”

Mustard isn’t spicy? That’s absurd.

“It is so.” Ash was suddenly sceptical. Food that burnt your tongue was spicy, right?

“Jalapeno Cheetos is spicy. Mustard can be spicy if it has hot spices in it, but not regular mustard.”

“Oh yeah, I can’t eat more than three of those Cheetos. That shit’s spicy.” Ash spit out his tongue and shuddered.

“So this is what the tasteless white people my sister was warning about.” Eiji murmured in Japanese.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, nothing.” He smiled innocently.

“Okay then, keep your secrets.” Ash pouted. “We have one more place I want to show you, and it’s my favorite place in this city.”

They got up and headed toward the parked motorcycle. Ash had to bribe Shorter to borrow it, and Eiji looked pretty excited once he saw it.

_“I’ve always wanted to ride a motorcycle. It’s a good thing Ibe-san isn’t here. He would have probably sent me back to Japan.”_

_“Haha... I can imagine...”_

Violently spraying his ward with pepper spray and driving him on a dangerous vehicle in a span of a few days? Ibe would’ve probably put a restraining order on him.

It was a pretty sweet bike. Shorter’s been saving up for it since he was 12. It was an added bonus that Eiji was eager to ride it and was so close to him. Hugging his torso and waist, clutching at him when he went a bit too fast, hearing his carefree laugh with the wind rushing over their faces.

_“It feels like I’m flying!” Eiji cried._

There was a hint of guilt and shame in his voice, but Ash probably imagined it.

They spent the entire tour going to the usual tourist spots, and Eiji took loads of pictures. Ash didn’t see what was so special about the city. It was just New York. Maybe it was dazzling to tourists, but if you’ve lived there long enough and saw the hell hole underneath the sparkling lights of the city, you would think otherwise.

Ash got a pretty cute picture of Eiji out of it. They were feeding the ducks, and a trail of baby chicks were following after Eiji.

They both got on the bike, put on their helmets and drove away from Brooklyn. The sunset was a beautiful sight as it set over the harbor. Sometimes you needed a breather from the city to escape it all. As they neared the end Brooklyn Bridge, the blaring horns, the bustling streets, and glow of commercialized lights of Manhattan assaulted their senses.

They were back in their borough—Ash’s territory. He took a shortcut and arrived at his sanctuary.

The tires squealed when once they arrived, and Ash dramatically waved his arms as he showed off the place. “Welcome to the New York Public Library.”

“Uwaahh... it looks so grand for a library. The ones back in Japan are all modern, and don’t have any lions. Are you sure we’re allowed to park here?” They were parked directly under the lion, much to his dismay.

Ash waved the question off. “Eh, I know a guy.”

“You’ve been saying that since the tour. Do you know everyone in New York? What if we get a ticket?” They were walking up the stairs and arrived in the main hall.

“Let’s just say a couple of people owe me big favors.”

“I wonder what those favors are.”

“Trust me, you wouldn’t want to know.”

Eiji hummed and took a couple of shots. Sometimes he would discreetly take shots of the gorgeous man when he wasn’t looking.

They got to the main reading room and Eiji’s breath stopped short. Literally.

He didn’t know why, but he this place felt important to him, even if it was the first time he stepped foot in the place. He wanted to scream, laugh, and cry at the same time. Something akin to loss lingered in the air. He shook off the depressing thoughts and shakily said “I can see why this is your favorite place, although I’m not sure why I want to leave right now.”

“Leave? Are you okay, Eiji?”

Ash held his arm to keep him steady. Eiji’s face was turning slightly pale, and he looked like he was gonna throw up. Was the hotdog bad? Shit, he didn’t remember the name of the shop. If Eiji got food poisoning he was gonna sue the owner and bite him in the ass. He also knew a lawyer who owed him favors.

“I think I need to go outside for a bit.” Eiji’s voice shook.

They went outside and Eiji flopped on the steps. A cold sweat took over him, and his heart was beating really fast. Maybe he was just tired, or there was some bad smelling chemical in there, but all he knew was that the sight of the main room made him blood freeze. How pathetic, he was ruining a perfectly good tour date.

“Are you okay, Eiji? Was the hotdog bad? Do you need some water?” Ash frantically waved around the poor boy. His concern was honestly cute.

“I’m fine, Ash.” Eiji grabbed his hand, and pulled him to the spot beside him.

“I honestly don’t know what happened, but the place didn’t feel right with me. It must be the hotdog. I’m sorry, I know it’s your favorite place and I ruined it.”

“There you go with your apologies again. It’s fine, maybe it is the hotdog. We can stay out here if you want.”

Eiji let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Ash. But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the hotdog. My emotions were a mess, and it felt like my heart was going to burst. It felt like I lost something, or someone important in there. But that’s ridiculous, isn’t it?”

“It’s not silly if you feel that way. I don’t know what happened, but I’d rather you stay away from this place if you’re going to feel like that again.” Ash hid half of his face in his palm and a small blush graced his cheeks. Eiji let out a small laugh and leaned a bit closer to Ash. The experience felt him draining, like 30 years of repressed tension hit him in a split second.

Ash wanted this moment to last forever, but he didn’t think his heart could take it. Eiji was still holding his hand, and his body was so close. His entire being felt warm when Eiji started to rub circles on his hand. The older boy probably didn’t notice what he was doing, and Ash was fine with that.

They stayed like that for quite a while, content in the silence. The flow of people in the library slowly trickled out with the night hour.

“You know,” Ash suddenly piped out, “The first time I visited the library all those years ago when I was a kid, I felt something odd.”

Eiji looked at him with bleary eyes. He almost nodded off to sleep.

“It wasn’t the same like how you felt. I felt excited, and really happy at first. Like the library was the most special place in the world. I looked up at the mural of the sky when we got to the main reading room, and I felt this crushing weight on my chest. I bawled my eyes out, and cried really loud. It was supposed to be a treat from Griffin, but the librarian looked like she wanted to kick us out. I couldn’t understand what I was feeling then, but sometomes when I look up at the mural, I feel loss and hope at the same time. Sometimes my sides would hurt, so maybe what you were feeling wasn’t crazy at all.”

“I guess…” Eiji leaned his head on Ash’s shoulder and chuckled. “I can’t remove the image in my head of you suddenly crying out of nowhere and Griffin not knowing what to do.”

“Shut up, it was a traumatic experience. I took me a month before I could go back in there.” Ash huffed.

Right on cue their stomachs growled at the same time.

“Wanna have some Japanese food? You must miss it, right?”

“Please Ash! I haven’t had good sticky rice in weeks, I feel like dying.” Eiji dramatically flopped on Ash’s legs, his hand posed on his forehead like a fair maiden.

“Get off, you’re heavy!”

“That’s because you’re skinny.”

Ash pinched his nose.

\---

 “I still don’t understand why you can’t put your noodles on top of rice.”

“Because for the last time, you’re supposed to put the rice in the soup once you’re done with the noodles!”

They entered Eiji’s apartment and continued their argument. They’ve been going on for the past 20 minutes since they left the restaurant.

“I’ve seen Mark from Sociology eat noodles with rice. And he’s Asian, Eiji, Asian!”

“Is Mark Japanese?”

“Uhh... South-East Asian?”

“We were eating Japanese food, so Mark doesn’t apply.” Eiji puffed out his cheeks indignantly.

“He does too.”

They were lounging on the couch and continued their argument. Eiji showed him a cat video. They wasted away the time watching cute animal videos and promptly forgot about their fight.

“What time is Griffin coming over again?” Eiji asked.

“Hmm... around 11 I guess? His boss called him up yesterday to do a late shift.” Ash shrugged.

“That sucks, and on a weekend too. You can stay here for a bit while we wait, if you want?”

“Y-yeah that’s fine with me, I’ll just text him I’m here. Sometimes I can’t sleep without knowing he’s back, y’know?”

“You and your brother...when we first met and you talked about this Arthur guy, he suddenly got mad. Sometimes he’d suddenly look sad too. ” Eiji suddenly jolted up from where he was lying down. “I’m sorry, I don’t mean to intrude or anything.” He flailed his arms around and awkwardly bowed in apology.

Ash knew what he was talking about. It’d taken a few years for him to get over it, but Griffin couldn’t. Griffin would never let himself forget. He rolled over and hugged the couch cushion to his chest.

“You’re not intruding on anything. We had it rough, growing up. Griff was affected by it the most, and he’s still recovering from what happened, even if it’s been years.”

Their feet were against each other, and now they were playing footsie, which wasn’t weird at all.

If Ash was being honest the weirdest thing with Eiji was that everything felt natural. Every touch and intimate gestures they shared felt right, even if they just met a few days ago.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.” Eiji’s hand was open, palm up on his leg.

Ash didn’t hesitate and reached for it.

“It’s weird. I’ve only met you but it feels like I can share this with you.” He took in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling, wondering where he should even begin.

He recounted how trying to survive in New York was hard since they escaped from their useless father. They only had a bag of clothes and what little money Griffin saved up. They heard about the glamour of New York City, the opportunities it brought.

It had all been a sham.

The city only thrived for the rich and spit on the rest. Rent was expensive, food was expensive, and clothes were expensive. Hell—that was the only word Ash ever heard when they tried to buy something.

For months they slept in the subways and begged on the streets. Griffin worked hard doing odd jobs to save up for a tiny shit apartment with one bed, leaks on the ceiling, and paper thin walls. But it was their home, and anywhere was better than the loud winds and uncaring stares of Cape Cod.

Ash wanted to work and help his brother, even if he was just a scrawny 7 year old kid. Griff kept on telling him it wasn’t necessary, that he should have fun and learn. Ash hated that he couldn’t be trusted to help. He saw the other street kids begging and doing whatever they could for scraps of food and dollar bills.

It was starting to snow when they fought for the first time, and he started to get into a tantrum.

He wanted to help, why couldn’t his brother see that? Griffin just held on to him in the middle of his wailing and flying fists. He barely heard him say that he wanted him to have a normal childhood—to not suffer more than they already have.

He pretended to sleep when he heard Griff crying beside him on the bed.

He tried to stop himself from crying too and fight crushing weight in his heart. This felt worse than being ignored by his father. He vowed that day that he would never make his big brother cry, and start being a good kid.

When he wasn’t working Griffin would take him to the library, and it was his favourite place in the entire world.

_“Is that when you started crying?” Eiji chimed in._

_“....I’m not going to let that ruin my momentum.”_

Griffin would write poems in the corner and Ash poured over every single book he could get his hands on. Griffin jokingly said that his smart mouth can probably get him a scholarship.

So he did, and he passed the top of his grade and advanced an extra year. It was one of their happier days, and Griffin treated him to Chuck E. Cheese.

It felt like things were finally going their way.

Griffin barely finished high school, and the chances of getting into any college was slim. So he worked harder and harder, so he could pay off their rat-hole apartment, get some food on the table, and make sure his little brother won’t end up being that poor kid in school. It was enough for him to finally get him to collapse in the middle of work.

He wasn’t sure what happened, but he was pretty sure he was in the middle of a shift in the nearby car repair center. He’d been sleeping a total of three hours a night and barely ate for a growing man.

He woke up to the sound of tiny sobs.

“Please don't leave me, I'm sorry... I'm sorry...”

God he wanted to die right there and then just so he wouldn't have to pay for the hospital bills.

But he'd be damned if he left Ash all alone. Griffin turned to him weakly. "Hey bud, I'm here, I'm fine." He croaked out. Ash cried and hugged him so hard Griffin felt like he would choke.

He was kept in the hospital for two days and was diagnosed of malnutrition. He would've broken down right there and then if he didn't at least have an ounce of dignity left.

When they got home Ash begged, "Griff, please, please let me help. I'm sorry if you're tired and working all the time because of me, I'll stop going to school and--" Griffin knelt down, held his shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Whatever you're thinking, it’s not true. I don't ever want you to stop school, you hear me? Not you." Ash lowered his eyes in shame.

Griffin sighed. "Listen, none of this was your fault. I’ve been working too hard, and stupidly at that. Let’s just sleep, alright? We’ll talk about this tomorrow.”

None of them slept a wink that night. This was a turning point in their lives, and they were too young to help themselves in a big world.

It took a while but they managed to get their lives together. Griffin quit his low paying jobs and started looking for new opportunities. He got lucky with and got an admin job because he bought a hotdog from this one guy who knew a guy.

Knowing the right guy seemed to be the norm in New York City.

It paid well, and Griffin saved enough to get himself into college. His passion was poetry and literature, but he knew that wouldn't get him anywhere. He took up Computer Science and wrote columns for the local papers. One thing led to another and he ended up writing for weekly magazines. Griffin's friend Max Glenreed helped a ton. He was an intern for a news magazine and slipped in some of Griff's writing on his boss’ desk.

It took a damn long while for them to get back on their feet, what with paying off Griffin's medical expenses and tuition fees. While that was happening, Ash ended up in a gang.

_"A gang? Like... in Scooby Doo?"_

_"Street gang, Eiji! I joined a street gang! Like— like a Yakuza!"_

_"Yakuza?!"_

Ash knew Griffin was going to kill him if he found out. For weeks they barely ate three meals a day and had to forego using hot water. Some of the kids at school knew he was poor and made fun of him, but he made sure to beat the crap out of them before they could do it a second time.

He was aware of how much money he could get off selling drugs and his body. He'd see the perverted leers and the grabbing hands of the degenerates. He may be naive about some things but he was careful around pedophiles and perverts.

He joined the kids selling weed down the street and staved off prostitution. He wasn't sure what exactly that entailed, but he knew it was worse than selling hard drugs. He rose up the ranks and eventually became the leader of downtown New York.  

He kept up the gig throughout his high school career and still managed to be the top student in the entire school district. Things were going great, and Ash was able to pay off their bills and set a comfy life for them. He paid the finance associate at Griffin's job to add in the extra money to his paycheck.

That is until Arthur wanted to fuck up his life more than usual.

In one day he almost got killed and had to dodge the cops for almost busting their group. Max was doing a special spread on street crime, and just so happened to spot him during his investigation. Naturally, he ratted him out to Griffin.

It was a hard night, and Max had to stitch him up since they couldn't risk any more medical expenses. He tried to stop himself from biting the idiot's head off, but Griffin was watching.

It was the worst fight they had. He fessed up about the gangs, the drugs, the extra cash—everything.

Griffin looked like he was going to puke.

He didn't know when Max left the apartment, but he was sure he could hear their fight from wherever he was. The entire building could probably hear them crystal clear with all the shouting.

They didn't speak solidly for a week, and barely even glanced at each other for months.

It was a grim twist of fate that led him to finally leave the gang.

He had his suspicions but refused to think any of it. It was his brother for crying out loud. Griffin, the dependable, sweet, kind-hearted older brother that didn't have to love and care for a nuisance like him.

Griffin slipped up one night, and Ash found traces of drugs on the kitchen counter. It was the same type of hallucinogen his gang sold.

He quit the gang the next morning and made Alex the next boss.

Getting Griffin to stay clean was a battle. Apparently he had been an addict for a year, and Ash beat himself up for not knowing sooner. It was one of the lower guys in his gang who sold Griff the drugs, and he gave him a nice little bullet scare to make up for it.

Even if Max was a constant pain in the ass, he was grateful for his help during Griff’s rehab. Ash was busy with cutting off all ties with the gang and preparing for college. It was a near blessing that Griffin wasn’t fired from his job.

It took half a year before Griffin was clean again. There were some setbacks and relapses. Without the drugs Griffin was a walking zombie trapped in a nightmare he couldn’t get out of, and in those days Ash would barely sleep and become a shaking, anxious mess.

It’s been a year since Griffin was officially clean. He managed to editorial job at a top book publishing company, while Ash passed all the Ivy League schools with flying colors.

Ash would like to hope that this new chapter in their lives would be peaceful for once. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime.

Ash let out a big breath. There was overbearing silence right after he just let out his entire life story to a man he recently met. He hoped it wasn't a mistake.

"Not even Shorter knows the whole story.” Ash piped up. His jade eyes held over Eiji’s, and the heaviness of the atmosphere was almost palpable.

“Is he the one who owns the bike?”

“Yeah, we’ve been friends since forever. He knows some parts of it, but I haven’t told him everything.”

“If he’s still with you after all these years, then what you just shared with me won’t ruin your friendship. Besides, I'm still here, aren't I? You’ve been very sweet and considerate with me, and none of what happened in your past will change that." They ended up cuddling each other in the middle of Ash’s story, but they would both deny the fact.

"Since I just shared my entire sob story, now it's your turn." Ash lightly joked.

Eiji stiffened against him. "It’s kinda late though. I don't think this night should be full of tragic backstories." He laughed it off. He didn't think he could share his past out loud, it would just cement what happened back in Japan. He could barely even process what happened in his mind when he was alone.

"Okay, another day then." He patted the soft black hair. Whatever demons Eiji had, he would listen to him with open arms. As the time ticked by, they unconsciously fell asleep cuddling on the couch.

Mayhaps their limbs were sore the next morning

\---

The next morning Griffin greeted them with pancakes and failed to hide his shit eating grin. Needless to say he found them in that scandalous position on the couch. He managed to get in using the spare key from the previous owner.

Eiji would need to buy another lock.


	4. Yut-Lung hates mustard loving colonizers and gives them the finger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone seems to think the two of them went on a date, but are they right though? Eiji meets new friends while Ash just suffers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a long time to finish i didn't know how to end this at all lol. There might be some spelling/grammar mistakes this is purely un-beta'd.

Come Monday, Ash was helping Eiji out on his first day. Everything was going well until lunchtime. They were supposed to meet each other until he saw Eiji dragging the snake along.

It was just his luck that they were classmates and got along for some god damned reason. The moment Yut-Lung saw Ash, his face turned into an ugly sneer and promptly gave him the finger.

Ash returned it in double.

Shorter once mentioned that they were the most beautiful people he’s ever met, but turn into fuck ugly ogres once they’re within 10 feet of each other.

The atmosphere was properly tense. Eiji didn’t really understand why they hated each other, but found them amusing. Yut-Lung would “accidentally” flip his long ass hair on Ash’s face while they were walking, and tripped his chair when they were sitting down. Ash got a room full of people gawking at him, but it didn’t matter with Eiji fitfully asking if he was okay.

“Eiji, this colonizer is putting too much mustard on his burger. It’s inhumane. I’m scared, let’s leave.” Yut-Lung gave Eiji his best pouty look and added a little tear for a dramatic effect.

“Don’t be silly Yut-Lung. He just loves mustard… a lot. Although that is too much, Ash.”

Ash tried to keep it in, he really did, but this plastic bitch really ticked him off in every way.

“Why don’t you try some you ugly opioid addict. It’ll taste good with that sour face of yours and maybe clear up your zit.” He proceeded to squirt the rest of the bottle on Yut-Lung’s plate of rich ass, vegan ass, quinoa ass salad. Ass.

“Asshole! That was their last Peanut Butter Quinoa Acai Bowl! Let’s leave this gun loving Republican, Eiji!” He pointed his finger at Ash, “And you’re bluffing. I powdered my face before lunch!”

They were going to punch each other’s face off at this point, and Eiji was good at ignoring them. He was dipping his fries in a mixture of ranch, blue cheese, and tabasco sauce when a kid slammed his hands on the table.

“Yut-Lung, help me! My essay is due in three hours and I need you to proofread it. Please, please, please!”

Ash and Yut-Lung were literally grabbing each other by the neck. The kid was unfazed by it at this point. It was a normal sight after all. Yut-Lung pushed Ash away, who stumbled back into his seat with curses flying everywhere.

“You couldn’t have DM’ed me instead? What are you even doing here, don’t you have classes?”

“They had some boring active shooter drills and I skipped. I just finished writing 5 minutes ago, and I need to get an A. Please, please, please plea--”

“Fine, I’ll do it. Sing, this is Eiji. Eiji, meet Sing, who’s supposed to be in high school right now learning how to protect himself against terrorists. How’d you even get in here?”

“Through the front door? Hey Eiji, are you the one Ash took out on a date last weekend?”

Eiji almost spat out his fries.

“D-d-d-Da-DATE?! No one said anything about a date!” Ash screamed. His face was red to the roots of his hair.

“But we did cuddle,” Eiji mumbled while munching on his fries.

The other two didn’t seem to hear it but Ash did, loud and clear. What did that mean? Did Eiji think it was kinda a date?

“Whatever, let’s go Sing. See you later Eiji. Make sure to wash your hands after hanging out with disgusting filth.”

“Bye, Yut-Lung.”

Ash turned to him when the two of them left. “You’re not going to defend me against that snake?!”

Eiji let out a laugh. “You two are very funny. Does Sing always come here? And what was that about terrorists?”

“Nah, forget about the terrorists. Sing’s pretty smart, but sometimes he’d ditch school to hang out with that Slytherin sonovabitch.”

“Maybe it’s because he has a thing for Yut-Lung.”

“They’re both fucking oblivious. It’s a pain to watch, really. How did you even meet snake princess?” Of all the possible human beings Eiji could’ve met in this fucking place with millions of people, it had to be a Lee.

“I...uhh... met him at Macy’s?”

“He still goes to fucking Macy’s?”

Eiji scratched his cheek. Yut-Lung did say not to mention the incident to anyone or he’ll find himself chained to the bottom of a lake. But he was sure he’d understand.

“This was during my initial application months ago. I saw him crying in one of the bathrooms. Something bad happened to him, but I didn’t ask. We’ve been chatting ever since. Promise me you won’t tell anyone?” he pleaded.

That seemed far-fetched to Ash. Well, he is the resident drama queen with more family problems than him. Eiji would have no reason to lie.

“Just be careful around him. Who knows what that bastard could do to you.”

“Whatever you say.” Eiji rolled his eyes playfully. The worst thing he’s ever done was drag him to Sephora for 5 hours. He’s been traumatized at the sight of makeup ever since.

They had free period after lunch, and Ash gave him tour number two outside campus. The blonde could set up a tour business at this point.

Eiji was thankful for it. He had a tendency to get lost when he was too engrossed with the sights. He would take countless of pictures and forget about where he was going. Sometimes he would get into the most ridiculous situations like accidentally stumble upon a heaving, crying mass at Macy’s, or getting pepper sprayed on the way home.

They got hungry in the middle of it and stopped by the Mexican restaurant Ash was raving about. The woman who owned the place took their orders and cooed at Eiji while pinching his cheeks. Eiji was too embarrassed to swat at Ash’s giggles.

It was a homey little place filled with people of different colors talking in different languages. Eiji liked to think this is what it’s like in The UN.

“These are the tacos I was telling you about. Try it with the guac. It tastes good on its own, but I’m tellin’ ya, the guac makes it orgasmic.”

“Organic—what?”

“N-nevermind! It’ll feel— I MEAN—TASTE. IT’LL TASTE GOOD.” Ash all but shouted. His face was completely red. He’ll turn into a crab at this rate.

Eiji would have to search that up later, but holy fuck the food was incredible.

\-----

It was an hour later when they had to rush back to campus for Ash’s next class. He completely forgot about it with their not-date-but-tour-number-two. He could’ve skipped, but the professor was a complete asshole who gave out pop quizzes if someone was late. Ash knew he would’ve scored it perfectly, but he was tired of his classmates cussing at him for the Nth time.

They were both panting when they arrived at his lecture room. Well, Ash was panting, sweating and wheezing like a dying man. Eiji only seemed a bit out of breath considering they ran for half a mile. He couldn’t think while his heart was beating out of his chest. He saw his bitch of a teacher walking down the hall. Shit.

“See ya later, Eiji. I’ll text you later, bye!”

“Bye bye!” Eiji waved back and gave a small smile.

Cute. Ash wanted to throw up. Or maybe it was because of the tacos.

  
\----

  
Ash had a lot of papers and presentations due the next few days while Eiji got off easy considering it was his first week. They couldn’t go back to the NYPL for…. reasons. It was nearing dinner time too.

But he could kill two birds with one stone. “Wanna eat some Chinese food? My buddy Shorter owns a restaurant and we could get free grub.”

“Are we doing international food this time, Mr. Tour Guide?” Eiji smirked.

“We could get some free food and free printing services at Chang Dai. Got a paper due tomorrow.” Free printing services meant hijacking Shorter's room.

“Lead the way then Tour Guide Callenreese. By the way, is Shorter a gang name like Ash Lynx or is it a nickname? Is he short down there too?”

Ash stopped short. He never questioned it. Why does Nadia call him Shorter? Is that his real name? It couldn’t be. Holy shit. He felt like his mind was going to burst any second now.

“Best not to ask and just accept it.” He solemnly whispered.

\----

  
They didn’t visit Chinatown on their absolutely-not-a-date-tour last weekend, so Ash showed him around the cool shops on the way to Chang Dai. He politely greeted the elders and high-fived some of the guys along the way.

Eiji found it charming that Ash knew so many people in New York City. It made it seem like the place wasn’t as vast and unwelcoming.

“Are all these guys part of Shorter’s gang?”

“Yup. Chinatown’s like my second home, plus the elders give me lots of snacks.”

Of course they would, if it’s a handsome young man, Eiji thought. His sister would freak once she’d see Ash. He had the whole movie star/model gig going for him.

They arrived at quaint family-type restaurant, and a short woman with a pixie cut greeted them at the entrance.

“Welcome back, Ash.” She greeted him with a warm smile and kissed his cheek. “You haven’t been back in a while. School keeping you busy?”

“Yup, college killing me as usual. By the way, this is Eiji. He’s my new neighbour.”

Eiji peered behind Ash and gave a small bow. “Uh-Hello. I’m Eiji Okumura. Nice to meet you.”

“Oh, you must be the one Ash took out on a date last week. Come on in, I’ll treat you two some dessert.”

“WHAT DATE WHA—?!”

“WE WEREN’T—?!”

Nadia looked behind her to see two flustered faces at the entrance.

“WE WERE ON A CITY TOUR. A TOUR. I SHOWED HIM AROUND.” Ash stressed out.

“YES, I WAS SHOWN AROUND.” Eiji pointed between the two of them and made gestures with his hands. He wasn’t really good at charades.

Nadia just blinked. “I see. Sing, Yut-Lung and Shorter told me you were. My mistake. The two of them are here by the way.” She pointed to the two  staring at them by the corner. Yut-Lung promptly gave Ash the finger.

“Shorter’s out right now, but he’ll be back. Sit where you want.” Nadia gave them a nod and walked back to the kitchen.

They calmed themselves to the best of their abilities, which wasn’t much. They passed by Sing and Yut-Lung and almost had another altercation. In one quick flash a fork passed by Ash’s ears and embedded itself deep into the wall.

He quickly grabbed Eiji and rushed to find a seat far far away from the other two. Nadia was an absolute nightmare when she was angry.

They sat down and Eiji picked up the menu. He wanted some greasy American-style Chinese food. “What a coincidence that they’re both here too. Do all the Chinese live in Chinatown or is that just stereotypical?”

Ash pointed to the Chow Mein. “It’s just a coincidence that they’re both from Chinatown. There are some who don’t live in Manhattan. Can’t believe I have to see that demon again,” He grumbled.

Nadia served them their orders and gave Ash a stern reprimand to stop fighting Yut-Lung.   
  
“Don’t worry ma’am. I’ll keep an eye on Ash,” Eiji said.  
  
“Thank you, Eiji. He’s a real handful sometimes.”  
  
“I’m not a kid you know!” Ash was indignant. He was standing right there. “When’s Shorter coming back anyway?” He grumbled. He hasn’t replied to any of his messages.  
  
“He’s out doing deliveries, and I told him not to text and drive or he’s banned from the kitchen. He should be back in half an hour.”  
  
“Mkaayyy.” Ash drowned out while stuffing himself silly with dumplings.  
  
“We’ve been eating the entire day. I think I need to go the gym soon.” Eiji looked at his dumplings like it was a radioactive weapon.  
  
“Woah, are you one of those fitness junkies? Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you weren’t tired out at all when we were running back to campus.”  
  
Must be why you have a hot bod. But he declined to say that out loud.  
  
“I was an athlete before but I still like to keep in shape.”  
  
“Well you seem to be in very, very good shape onii-chan.” He added a little wink. He couldn’t help himself. “Never pegged you for an athlete. What sport did you play?”  
  
“Oh, pole vaulting I guess.”  
  
Ash almost choked on his dumpling. Shorter would have laughed at him for almost dying like this.  
  
“POLE VAULTING? Are you serious?” He couldn’t imagine his fit yet adorable neighbor jumping 10 feet on a stick.  
  
“Yup. I did. It was fun.” Eiji was chewing his chopsticks. He could taste the wood.  
  
“Was? What happened? What was your record? Was it hard?” Ash was full of questions. He never met a pole vaulter before, and it wasn’t exactly a common sport.

Eiji bit back a groan. He shouldn’t have mentioned it. He should have just said he played some normal sport like basketball. He was pretty bad at lying too, or so they said. He wasn’t good at anything so what’s new?  
  
“I..uh… played pro back then. Well, almost pro? I got into the prelims for the Olympics but messed that up. It’s very boring you wouldn’t enjoy it.”  
  
“You just said Olympics, how can that be boring.”  
  
“A lot of things happened back in Japan that I’d rather not talk about it, sorry. I’m a useless coward and basically ruined my whole life which is why I’m thousands of miles away from home trying to escape it.”  
  
Eiji’s heart was beating a thousand miles per hour, and he was starting to sweat. He just confessed everything that’s happened since coming here. Ash looked a bit stumped. Stupid Eiji, pole vaulting was a curse at this point. He should just stab himself with the chopsticks and make life less miserable for everybody.  
  
“Uhh… sorry. I didn’t mean to force you. Is this what you were talking about, when I told you my entire sob story?”  
  
“Maybe? Yes.”  
  
“If you’re not ready to talk about it that’s fine with me. Same as what you did for me, I won’t judge you for what happened. That’s all in the past now.”  
  
He felt like tearing up. It was just a simple reassurance but it meant a lot for Eiji who can just let go for once.  
  
“Thank you, Ash. Really. Uhm, back in middle school there—“  
  
“YO, ASH!”  
  
Eiji was rudely interrupted by a purple mohawk. He had to do a double take. He’d seen a lot of people with a weird sense of fashion, but this guy didn’t make it look _that_ obnoxious.  
  
“Oh look, it’s Shorter.” Ash gave him an apologetic smile.  
  
It was fine. He didn’t want to share his trivial life story in public anyway.  
  
Shorter walked over to them but got dragged over by Sing to his table. Sing and Yut-Lung tried to be inconspicuous but they were fucking loud. And the three of them kept on looking back at them like they couldn’t see the three idiots.  
  
“I can see you, you know!” Ash yelled.  
  
“And that’s why they shouldn’t date!” Hissed Yut-Lung.  
  
Ash really wanted to strangle him then and there. If only Nadia wouldn’t murder him first for staining the floor.

Shorter sauntered over to them with obvious glee behind his black shades.

“Why is he wearing shades indoors? And at night?” Eiji whispered.

“Ssh, don’t mention it. I heard it’s a very sensitive topic.”

“Hey Eiji, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Shorter, Ash’s best and only friend.”

“It’s nice to meet you too, Shorter. Ash told me all—“

“So how was the date? Welcome to New York blah blah, you’d never find a city so exciting yet shitty than this. Did you like my bike? Was Ash a gentleman? I know he’s an idiot especially when he, y’know,” Shorter mimicked spraying Eiji with a spray can until Ash tackled him with a scream.

“No fighting,” Nadia lazily said at the back of the kitchen.

Oh god, did everyone know about the pepper spray incident? Eiji was fine, and he’d rather not remember what happened at all. Also what was up with the dating thing? They’ve only met each other for less than a week.

“Who told you about that?!”

“Dude, you PMed me that you accidentally pepper sprayed a cute guy then ghosted me until you needed my bike. What kinda friend are you?”

“I—I did not. Fuck me.”

“Save it for later man.” Shorter ducked Ash’s flying fists while Eiji heard Yut-Lung’s groans of disgust.

They certainly made an interesting pair. What was that one saying he saw on the internet? Sharing one brain cell?

“I keep telling everyone, it wasn’t a date. It was just a friendly tour around the neighborhood,” said Ash.

If Ash asked him on a date right now, Eiji would say yes before he finished the question. This whole did-you-go-on-a-date thing was getting tiring. It hadn’t even been a full day yet.

“Well, I gotta go help Nadia clean up. Just leave the bill up front. See ya guys!”

“Byeeee,” they both droned out.

It was getting pretty late, and they were the only ones left aside from Yut-Lung and Sing.

They paid their tab and left the restaurant in peace. Thankfully Ash ignored Yut-Lung and the other was kind enough to do the same.

The crisp night air assaulted their senses, and Eiji let out a sigh of relief. He should text Ibe-san that he was going home, or the other would try to stay up all night waiting for him.

Eiji noticed how Ash’s looked beautiful against the neon lights. He was always beautiful, and now he was itching to take a picture. He tugged on the blonde’s sleeve.

“Hey, Ash? About earlier, with the whole pole vaulting thing…”

“You don’t have tell me now. You can tell me when you’re ready, I’ll wait for you.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad? I said I’ll wait for you until you’re ready. I’ll wait forever if I have too.” Did he just say the lamest thing out loud?

“This is enough, I think.” Eiji grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers. Normal. Perfectly Normal.

“I said forever, alright?” He looked to the side so Eiji couldn’t see his heated face.

“Oh shit,” he halted.

They forgot about his homework.

“You can print at my place? I don’t think there are stores open at this hour.”

“Oh my god, thank you you’re a lifesaver.”

“In exchange, let’s go on a date.”

Ash must have misheard Eiji, or Yut-Lung finally poisoned him and he was hallucinating.

“Wha- Can you please repeat that?”

“You heard me, a date. I think it’ll be fun. Everyone already thought we did, so why not? Unless you don’t want to?”

“Y-YES. Uh. I’d sure let’s do that, yeah.” Nice. Smooth. Oh god, a date a date a date a date a date a date with Eiji? Yut-Lung definitely poisoned him. His hands were sweating, what if Eiji’s disgusted with his gross moist palms and moves out of the apartment forever?

Eiji let out a sigh and clutched his chest, “Ahh, thank god. I thought you were going to say no. How about you pick me up on Friday and we could watch a movie?”

“Sure, that—that sounds nice. Perfect, actually. We could go after your class. ” Ash’s mind was going haywire. What happened during dates? What should he wear? Did he need to ask for Ibe’s permission? He needed to study a dating guide when he gets home.

“It’s a date then!” Eiji can’t believe the love charm his sister “accidentally” got him worked.

  
\-----

They watched a horror movie that day, and Eiji never expected to silently fall in love with the man who pepper sprayed him, even if said man was tightly clutching his hand and screamed at the jump scares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND THEY LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. DON'T PEPPER SPRAY CUTIES IF YOU WANT A LOVE LIFE KIDS. SCREAM WITH ME @MANGRA_MK ON TWITTER FOR MORE BANANAFISH SHIT


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